I guess that Windies fans are down about this bit of news because Roach has 82 wickets from 21 Tests at an impressive average of just under 27, while Fidel has 158 wickets from 54 Tests at an expensive average of over 38....

But the point is a valid one - on last year's tour, Fidel took eight wickets at an average of 30.50, while Roach could only manage one wicket at 101!
Still, Roach is 24, while Fidel is over 30, and while he's still fast, he's not as quick as he used to be, and because he doesn't swing the ball much, good batsmen should be able to score off him. The Aussies scored runs with ease against him in the Caribbean....

But Fidel, due to his action can get reverese swing which is useful in Asian conditions. That action also makes bouncers and yorkers more deceptive. Edwards had a lot of success last year with his short ball and I think it was due to the batsman not being able to pick the length early enough.

Roach on the other hand doesn't seem to have much swing and perhaps relies on seam movement. I think he was just off form when we played last year. He was bowling all over the place. Roach is defintely the better bowler, but Fidel on his day can wreck the best lineups.

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
But Fidel, due to his action can get reverese swing which is useful in Asian conditions. That action also makes bouncers and yorkers more deceptive. Edwards had a lot of success last year with his short ball and I think it was due to the batsman not being able to pick the length early enough.

Roach on the other hand doesn't seem to have much swing and perhaps relies on seam movement. I think he was just off form when we played last year. He was bowling all over the place. Roach is defintely the better bowler, but Fidel on his day can wreck the best lineups.